Council tax - frequently asked questions

This page contains answers to the most commonly asked questions our council team are asked.

Page Contents:

Paying council tax

Questions related to paying council tax.

  • We offer 10 or 12 monthly instalments in a full financial year.
  • Instalments are due on the 1st of each month.
  • If you pay by direct debit, payments on the 15 and 28 of the month is also available.   
  • If you receive a bill during the financial year, we will offer as many instalments as there are left in that year. 
     

For more information on how to pay your bill, click here. 

 

You do not need to complete a new form. Your bill will state the method of payment. If this is direct debit, payment will be automatic. If it doesn’t state this, please click here for more information. 

 

The option to pay over 12 months for council tax is now available.
We process yearly council tax bills towards the end of February. If you have made a payment after this time, it may not be on your yearly bill. If you wish to check, call 0345 600 6400 or email counciltax@northumberland.gov.uk. 
Your bill may not be issued if there has been a recent change in circumstances. You may contact us by:

We try to complete changes as soon as possible but during busy periods we can build up a backlog.
 
Once the information has been processed, an amended bill will be sent to you as soon as possible.

If you have moved address you can inform us online which results in the change being processed more quickly.

Until you receive your new bill you should pay the instalments shown on your last bill.

We will refund any overpayments.

If you cannot afford these payments, please contact us immediately. 

You can pay weekly as long as you are in advance of your instalment plan. You should aim to have each instalment paid by the 7 of each month to avoid a reminder being issued. This is the customer’s duty to set up and maintain, and you won’t need to notify the council tax section. 
My Northumberland Account is a free, interactive and secure online service that allows you to access council tax and garden waste, 24 hours a day, seven days a week. 

Customers can pay their bill free of charge at any post office or pay point outlet using the barcode on their bill. 

 

If you think your bill is wrong, please contact us. In the meantime you must pay the amount on your most recent bill:
Taxpayers have the right to appeal against their council tax band by contacting the valuation office here or by phone 03000 501501. In the meantime, you must pay the amount due on your bill.

If you are moving house, click on the following link for further details 

Freeman on the Land - legality of Council Tax

Details of Freeman on the Land and challenges to the legality of Council Tax

Council Tax pays for the services in your area. Without this, we could not provide essential services or help those in need. 

Our authority to charge Council Tax comes from the Local Government Finance Act 1992. 

This statute, created by a democratically elected Parliament of the United Kingdom which has received Crown assent and is supported by subsequent statutory regulations, set out a local authority’s rights to demand Council Tax to fund services and who is liable to pay.

Further information available here

Exemptions, discounts and council tax premium

Questions related to exemptions, discounts and council tax premium.

A range of discounts and exemptions are available based on your personal circumstances. Please visit the discounts and exemption page for more information.

Empty homes premium applies to properties that have been unoccupied and substantially unfurnished for more than one year.

Click here for further information

 

The level of council tax support for all working age claimants is 92%.
 
Pensioners will continue to receive support up to 100% as set by the Government and will not change. 
 
Details of how to pay will be with your council tax bill or call 0345 600 6400.
 

 

Problems paying your council tax

Frequently asked questions about problems or issues when paying your council tax.

If you are having trouble paying your council tax bill, contact us immediately on 0345 600 6400 and we will do all we can to help you.
  • For more debt help and advice, click here.
  • You may be entitled to a discount or help through council tax support. Click here for further information.
  • For further advice to help Northumberland families and individuals, click here.
  • If you miss a council tax instalment, you will receive a reminder notice.
  • This gives you seven days to pay the outstanding amount.
  • If you do not pay this amount, the full annual charge will need to be paid.
  • If it is not paid within a further seven days, formal recovery action will be taken. 
 
You will only receive two reminders within a financial year. On the third missed payment, a final notice will be issued. This will demand the remainder of the year’s charge and removes your right to pay by instalments. 

Council tax charges

Questions related to how council tax is calculated.

Council tax funds all the services provided by Northumberland County Council, the police authority and local parish and town councils. 
 
To see how your charge is calculated, click here 

If you have been sent a bill, it means we think you are responsible for paying council tax on the property detailed. If you don’t think you should be paying council tax on this property please contact us. 

Parish and town councils can raise revenue to help meet their spending requirements by issuing a precept. This is the total amount raised through council tax from all the domestic properties within the parish area. 
 
The 'precept' is converted into an amount per council tax band and added onto the council tax bill. For details on what this money is used for in your parish, please contact your parish clerk here. 

 

The adult social care element represents an offer made by the Government to increase council tax to assist the Council in meeting expenditure on adult social care. 

The council has taken up the option to raise an additional 2% in 2025-26 for adult social care. 

The additional 2% in relation to adult social care is calculated from the total council tax charge for the previous year and is not a 2% increase on the previous year's adult social care precept. 

For a full explanation of this years Adult Social Care funding, click here.

We recover an element of council tax via special expenses when we provide a service in an area the town council or parish provide in other areas.

The cost of this has to be met by the council taxpayers of the town or parish where we provide the service. For further details on how your council tax is calculated click here. 

Contact council tax

Who to contact about your council tax

Revenues & Benefits privacy notice
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